


It Wasn't Just a Dream

by Adirastts



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Eating Disorder, Fluff, Mild Language, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, TTS, Tangled: The Series, Trauma, the brotherhood (tts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28566942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adirastts/pseuds/Adirastts
Summary: After the battle against Zhan Tiri, Hector, Adira, and Edmund decided to travel back to the Dark Kingdom. Although glad to be returning home, the two knights struggle with recovering from the months of being mind controlled.
Relationships: Adira & Hector & Edmund (Disney: Tangled), Adira & Hector & Quirin (Disney: Tangled), Adira & Hector (Disney: Tangled)
Kudos: 14





	It Wasn't Just a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyy! This one's going to be a little short, and I don't think I'll add chapters unless want any, but I still hope you enjoy! I'm not 100% sure how much time passed from the start and end to their mind control, but in this I'm estimating like... 2-3 months? maybe less? Also I'm not writing Edmund with PTSD or at least not to Hector and Adira's degree, since they were under the trap for muuuuch longer than he was and he potentially let that problem be a possibility in the first place.

Hector's POV:

I never liked taking defeat. It was incredibly rare of me to do so.

From what I can recall, I've only given up about four times in my life. First was when I was seven, I had my first serious dual during training. The other kid was twice my size and probably three years older than me, turning a sword fight into a wrestling match after the dual had gone on for too long of a time. I stopped fighting back when he stepped on my neck and knocked out one of my baby teeth. It hurt physically, but mentally I was still stable and ready for my next round due to the reassurance and slap on the back from Prince Edmund. The Second time was when I was sixteen and got in a big fight with Quirin. I can't remember all of it, but it was something about having more compassion for others. Since it was a week-long verbal fight, no one was injured; but I spent weeks silently drowning in guilt because one of my only two friends -well, _human_ friends- showed me that no relationship was truly unconditional, and I had to work on myself if I didn't want to lose them. I picked up my act for awhile, and one day he told me he was proud of my efforts. After that the guilt never fully disappeared, but at least I felt a lot less fearful of losing our friendship at the time.

The third was when I had fallen from the vines of The Great Tree, where I probably would have died if it weren't for Adira. This was a heavier defeat. Not only was I severely injured, but I had two different guilts within me that fought against each other every single day before... _it_ happened. One about Adira and how I threatened her, my _best friend_ , even when she never gave up on me; and secondly, the fact that I wasn't strong enough to stop them from getting past me. I had wasted two and a half decades of my life protecting something that was stolen from anyways, and also put my best friend before it. On one hand, I could have joined her from the beginning and maybe wouldn't have been so alone all these years, but on the other hand, I wouldn't have kept my loyalty to the crown and moonstone. Either way, the moonstone was stolen... And I had failed both her and my legacy in life.

But this last defeat hurt more than any defeat had. It changed me from inside out.

The insanity, the hunger, the fatigue, the humiliation, the fear, the helplessness... 

It took me days to even fully feel like I could have my own opinions, do things as I please, or recognize that I was an individual. When King Edmund suggested that we go back to the castle to help the others, Adira and I didn't hesitate. You could say it was because it was the king's orders, or the most logical thing to do, or an attempt to save the world, but I can't help but believe it was because I still longed to please that... horrid _wench_. It had been all that I did for months: bowing to her, doing her every biding, only eating or sleeping or even _using the damn bathroom_ when she said we could. It was like being one of those tortured animals you'd see at a circus who were only alive to please someone else. Yet there I was an hour after being free, chanting for her. Fighting for her. Almost dying for her.

...I don't think I know who I am anymore.

"Hector, when was the last time you ate?" A hoarse voice asked at the doorway of the guest bedroom. I turned to see Quirin, who had offered rooms to Adira and I while we recovered before our trip back home. We had been there for almost a week now, and getting back to daily habits was, like I said, not easy. I mostly stood in silence, waiting for someone to tell me what to do. Conversations were hard to join, as I was unable to remember how to form opinions on my own. Adira would find me sitting on the living room couch, asking why I wasn't in bed. _"I wasn't told to yet."_ I'd think, but I stopped myself from saying it when my eyes met hers. She already knew what was going on, so she'd just give a look of sympathy and tell me to go to sleep with a comforting pat on my shoulder. 

"Uh, we had that porridge earlier, didn't we?" I answered, watching the man's face fill with pity. "That was this morning, Hector. The sun's already setting." He said, not angry but rather concerned, like how one would talk to an injured baby animal. "Oh... right." I replied, not sure what else to say. Quirin huffed, nervously looking around the room. "Adira said she's starting dinner soon, but uh... like I said before, don't hesitate to eat some of the food we've got in the house." He reminded me, and after I nodded and forced a weak smile, he went back downstairs.

I hated feeling so weak and pitied, but I also didn't have any fight left in me at the moment. Sometimes, I think of the possibility where I'll never get enough fight in me ever again. Will I always be an empty shell of a person, waiting for commands of others in order to function?

______________________________________________________

Adira's POV:

I've gone through enough hardships to where hiding my emotions for even the toughest situations came easy; but this didn't sit right with me.

I understand her pent up hurt, and I'm aware of how people can spiral out of control with enough rage built inside of them. Even with this realization, I don't think I can nor _want_ to hide my emotions and pretend like nothing happened. The only problem with this is that I don't know how to properly react with such a sadistic and shameful situation like this. I think I rather don't know what to do because I've never desired to share my hurt feelings before, or maybe I don't know how to really think for myself at all after only thinking for her and only her for so long. Do I cry about it to someone? Do I go out and find her so I can shout in her face? Do I go on some sort of dramatic rampage? -No, that's what she did, and it obviously didn't go well.

We've planned on going home, so at least I have that to look forward to and distract myself with. Quirin's the same, still playing mamma-bird by making sure we have a place to stay until we "feel better." Although I denied that I needed his comfort in the past, this time it felt needed. Either way, I always make sure to give him my gratitude. With this, I've received time to notice the toll it's taken on Hector. I've watched him face the same situation that I was right in front on me for months, and now I can watch him without the cover-up of the mind trap. Both then and now I knew exactly what was going through his mind, and I can state for a fact that he is breaking, if not already broken. The best thing I can do now is point him in the right directions. Instead of _telling_ him what to do, I give him tips to help him think for himself. " _What_ did you eat today?" "I feel tired, _do you?_ " "How do you _feel_ about all this cold weather?" "I'm about to make dessert for tonight, what do you _think_ is better, pumpkin pie or cake?" 

I think it's slowly working, which is good. Yesterday I caught him sitting on the stairs outside, eating some carrots on his own time. This morning I also noticed he looked a lot more rested than the previous mornings. However, neither of us truly talked about the whole situation since it happened. Quirin tried to bring it up in a gentle manner after Varian left the dinner table to play around with his magic stuff, but Hector just fazed out, and I just shrugged it off. He took the hint pretty quickly, so that was the last of it. For now, we just try to keep living our lives day-to-day.

______________________________________________________

Hector's POV:

You know what's scarier than a nightmare? One you can't even remember.

This was the third time. King Edmund, Adira and I were only a week into our trip back home, and this was the third time where I had woken up in the middle of the night, screaming. King Edmund was a crazy-hard sleeper, I only woke him up the second night where he was still trying to fully fall asleep after getting water. He just laughed it off and assured me it was alright, but as for Adira, she didn't fall back asleep until I did. She wouldn't say much, only sit down next to me and maybe hum a few old songs every so often. I didn't say anything though, because quite honest I didn't even know what all happened. First I'm falling asleep, everything goes black, then I'm jolted awake by the sounds of my own cries of agony. I could say that's better than remembering whatever is making me scream so violently, yet there's something so _horrific_ about the unknown that lives inside my mind as I sleep. 

Tonight it happened again, and the same happened as it did the other two nights. Adira shook me awake with panic in her eyes, she sat back, then I thanked her and closed my eyes to try to fall back asleep. Although this time, she finally spoke.

"I get them too."

I peaked an eye open to look at her, "Hm?" I questioned as I cocked my eyebrow. She sighed, then leaned back on her hands. "Nightmares. I've been getting them too. I keep dreaming about... burning down cities, killing innocent people, some of whom I know; Yet I can't move. I just watch. I can't wake up from it most of the time either." Adira explained, not making eye contact. I waited a second, then spoke up as well, "I don't remember mine. I don't know if I'd want to or not... probably not... but it makes me feel a bit uneasy not knowing what I faced on seconds after it ended." Wow, I think that's the most I've shared about something that wasn't a response to a question in a long time. Adira nodded as she thought, then scooched closer to me. "Well, if you ever want to talk about it... like, everything, dream or not, remembering or not... I'm here for you. You're not alone anymore, you have me. And..." She gazed at the snoring man a few yards away. "Technically Edmund too, ha. I won't judge you for talking about your feelings, I'm feeling some tough feelings about it all too, and pretending it didn't happen only works for so long." She continued. I huffed, then it started happening. My eyes started to sting and ache with pressure.

"It's okay to cry, Hector." She said, voice a bit shaky. I looked up, shocked to see a few tears falling from her eyes. Never in my life have I ever seen 'the mighty Adira' cry, yet here we were, crying. I sat up, and before I could try to hug her she had already pulled me into her chest. "It wasn't fair." I sobbed quietly, relaxing into the embrace of the warm woman. I felt her nod, and heard a struggled "I know... I know." 

My heart felt heavy, and just... _sad._ I will say that it was much more of a relief to finally recognize a thought made by _me,_ and not to mention the unfamiliar touch of being cradled by your old best friend.

______________________________________________________

Adira's POV:

It's been five years since we were freed from the mind trap, and we've found our new normal. Hector's let go of a lot of his violent tendencies and has learned to practice more compassion. I've re-learned how to live in one place again instead of always being on the move. From day-to-day we take walks together in the new sunlight that shines over the Dark Kingdom, help build houses and farmlands for the incoming citizens, feed the animals, go hunting, and enjoy the nice warm hot springs. Some days we even write to Quirin, who promised to visit twice a year via air balloon, thanks to Varian. Life was finally good, almost fitting to the definition of a "happily ever after." Every day we find ourselves smiling and laughing, which wasn't a common event back before we had first abandoned the Dark Kingdom. Yet here we were, back home, at peace.

Even so, they'll come back every one and awhile. I'll dream of it all: the rocks, the stone, Zhan Tiri, the mind trap... 

But this time I have someone who helps take the pain away.

He's knocked on my door a few times himself; sometimes with eyes full of tears, sometimes not. Either way, we'd talk about it until we'd fall asleep in the bed together, forgetting that any of it happened the second the morning light hits our faces. Sometimes I knock on his door too, usually hands full with two cups of tea. This happened to be one of those nights, so I balanced both cups in one hand to knock on his bedroom door. 

"Yeah?"

"It's Adira."

"Come in, Sister. I can't sleep either."


End file.
